Today, Somerset House opens a retrospective exhibition on Ferran Adrià, and the restaurant he built to become the world’s best, elBulli.
The Art of Food is the world’s first exhibition dedicated to a chef and his restaurant and will showcase “the art of cuisine and cuisine as art by taking a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary laboratory and kitchen of the internationally renowned restaurant, which delighted diners in Cala Montjoi, a small picturesque bay on the Catalan coast near Roses, for over 50 years. Charting the evolution of elBulli, the exhibition will feature an in-depth, multimedia display of each of the essential ingredients that make up the culinary creative mastermind and his team: research (handwritten notes and hand-drawn sketches); preparation (plasticine models, which were made for all the dishes served as a means for quality control of colour, portion size and position on the plate, and the specially-designed utensils used); presentation (original tasting menus, cutlery laid on the tables and salivating shots of the creations.”
Adrià says “Even though the restaurant of elBulli is now closed, the spirit of elBulli is still very much alive and this exhibition is one of the ways of keeping it so. For some, I hope it will revive good memories, and for others it will give a flavour of a fine dining experience like no other. Overall, it is an ode to the creativity, imagination, innovation, talent and teamwork of everyone at elBulli, but especially the world-famous chefs who trained with us and took these values into their own restaurants around the world.”
An Audience with Ferran Adrià: elBulli
To celebrate the opening of the elBulli: Ferran Adrià and The Art of Food head honcho chef Ferran Adrià will, tonight, discuss the afterlife of the restaurant, and his ongoing projects. The talk will be chaired by Jason Atherton, the first British chef to work at elBull. Tickets include an Estrella and free entry to the exhibition until 21.30.
Nestle amongst the Instagramming food bloggers and prepare to be wowed. You’ll probably never eat food this good so settle for fourth best and nip to the 1940s India Club on the Strand afterwards for an average curry in a really great place.
Tonight’s talk, 18.30-19.30 (ticket includes exhibition entry until 9.30pm), Friday, 05 July 2013, Main Lecture Theatre, IET London: Savoy Place WC2 £25
The Exhibition, 5 July–29 September 2013, daily 10.00-18.00, until 21.00 Thursdays, Embankment Galleries West, South Wing, Somerset House WC2 £10 (£8 concs), £5 on Mondays
